Queensland Maroons debutant Sam Walker has refused to shy away from being compared to the legendary Allan Langer, as he rubbished suggestions his defence will be a weak spot in the State of Origin series launch.
Walker has long been touted as a future Origin halfback – a position his father, former Brisbane Broncos star Ben Walker, was never picked for – only for injury setbacks and the rise of Tom Dearden to delay his ascent.
But when Dearden suffered a syndesmosis injury to rule him out of game one, and possibly game two, the Sydney Roosters sensation was the strong favourite to claim the state’s No.7 jumper.
His defensive deficiencies came under scrutiny after his side’s narrow win against the Gold Coast Titans two weeks ago, leading to speculation that fullback Kalyn Ponga would be ushered into the role, with space for Reece Walsh in the team.
But Maroons coach Billy Slater has kept the faith in the man both Wayne Bennett and Darren Lockyer have heralded the second coming of Queensland great Langer.
Like “Alfie”, Walker is one of the smaller halfbacks in the game, with his official NRL profile listing him at 78kg, with a short kicking game and instinctive attacking brand.
Walker even grew up playing on the same Ipswich fields as Langer. But when asked if he felt the pressure of the comparisons, he replied, “not at all”.
“It’s an honour to be able to be compared to someone like that, and it’s exciting as well. I spend a lot of time working on my little crafts in my game, and you just build them as you go,” he said.
“I didn’t get to watch a great deal of him, he was a bit too old for me there, but it’s something I guess I was moulded [around]. Dad used to love watching him play, and I guess my game often gets the comparisons for the similar ways I play.”
While he can expect to be targeted heavily by the New South Wales engine room due to his stature, Walker was adamant he would not be a liability come kick-off on May 27.
Among the four halves to take on game one – joined by Cameron Munster, Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses – the 23-year-old has missed the fewest tackles in 2026 (27).
“I’m very confident in who I am, and I know I go out there and give it my all every single time I’m on that field,” Walker said.
“It’s something I’ll continue to work on, and being a smaller half it’s something that definitely isn’t a strong suit, but something I continue to work on, and I’m confident I’ll do a job out there.”
Walker is just 19 games back from a ruptured ACL suffered on the eve of the 2024 NRL finals series, a setback he said had given him a more profound understanding of the player he wants to be.
His form this season – with nine try assists and 10 forced dropouts, along with 85 running metres a game – has led Maroons hooker Harry Grant to entrust him with the “keys” to the state’s attack.
He said his relationship with the Roosters’ Daly Cherry-Evans, the former Queensland skipper, was one he would draw on the lead-up to his Origin debut.
“I’ve loved having Chez at the club, he’s such a good man to have around there, and he’s obviously done it for so long for Queensland,” Walker said.
“It’s something we often speak about, and we both have such a passion for, and he’s already shot me a message and said if I need anything throughout the week let him know.
“To have that support from him is really special, and I’m really grateful for it.”
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